Homestretching

Pomegranate Obessions

2013-11-23T10:34:00.001-08:00

Such a controversy swirling about the best method for removing the seeds from a pomegranate. The water method is so clean that I let my three year grandson do it by himself without worry. The spoon method is definitely quick, but messy. What to do?

Water method:

Spoon method:

Best method:

Well, of course, the answer is to combine the two. Fill a large bowl half full of water. Cut the pomegranate along the equator, pull apart. Hold one half down low above the waterline and smack the skin side with a wooden spoon until all the arils fall into the water. The pith will float to the top; scoop it out. Dump the whole thing through a colander and you're done in less than one minute.

Weather's a Comin' In

2013-11-19T11:20:00.001-08:00

On my walk along the trail yesterday, I encountered an old man, who said to me, "Weather's a comin' in." It charmed me in it's simplicity and truth. We've reached the end of the fall, the trees have changed and the colder storms are approaching. Now it the time to consider what we can do to make the chillier months more cozy and comfortable.

As someone who spent the first 10 years of my marriage as a struggling student, married to a struggling contractor, in the coldest spot in the nation (hello, Truckee), I thought I knew a thing or two about staying warm in a cold climate and feeding ourselves well, but cheaply. Today I fell down the rabbit hole of endless websites and have learned so much more.

It started with an article on The Kitchn, about Marissa Miller, a chef who lost her job and needed to feed her family on what she could scrounge up, be it from the discount bins or the food bank. She had the knowledge and the skills to pull it off. She says to concentrate on the most nutritional dense foods and be okay with imperfection.

Reading the comments lead to A Girl Called Jack, a blog by Jack Monroe, a woman living in a draughty house in England. Honestly, the coldest I have ever been was in Wales in April. I had never experienced damp like that. The comments here are a treasure trove of good ideas. The tips on keeping warm taught me so many things:

Bed warmers--old pillowcase, filled with grains (from the bulk section of the grocery). Heat in microwave and slide into the bed about an hour before you get in.

Put a robe or sweat pants at the foot of your bed also, to warm for morning rising.

Spread a wool blanket over your duvet, and tuck it in under the mattress--no drafts!

Thin layers of silk, cotton, or wool-- long johns, vests, neck scarves, fingerless gloves, hats (even indoors).

My personal favorite: Drink a cup of warm blackcurrant juice. (why have I never thought of that?)

My husband, Brad was intrigued when I showed him this video of a way to warm a small space cheaply. We gathered all the supplies and lit up our little heater in his office yesterday. It WORKED! Hallelujah! No more freezing fingers and toes as we take care of business in there.

What's for Dinner?

2013-10-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Since we started eating more veggie-based, almost all of our meals now are bowl meals. We almost never eat "meat and two veg" style anymore. You can round out any meal by adding a whole steamed artichoke, an ear of corn, a baked sweet potato, or a side salad, if you feel it needs more.

So many things accommodate this kind of eating:

pasta
curry
stir-fry
salad
soup
pizza
rice or noodle bowls
polenta with toppings
frittata
taco or enchilada
casseroles

Try to experiment and mix it up to your own taste. I might read something that pushes me in a certain direction, but I will mess around with it as much as I can. I will think of a general dish and wonder, "What can I add (or take away)?" Start with the vegetables. I might decide that we will have carrots, or sweet potatoes, or green beans, and then start looking through the refrigerator and pantry to see what's available. Then I'll think of a direction to go with it--Mexican, Asian, Indian, Thai, Italian. Use it as a jumping off place, but make your own.

To get you started, some easy things to eat for dinner (or lunch):

Tacos--Soak some walnuts for 2 hours and drain. Put in food processor with taco seasoning, use for tacos or taco salad. Top with tomatoes, salsa, onions, shredded lettuce or cabbage or kale, avocado, cheese, etc.

Another taco--smear inside of a warm tortilla with avocado, use cooked butternut and black beans mixed with taco seasoning, top with shredded cabbage.

Butternut Turnovers--Use puff pastry to make pockets of cooked butternut, walnuts, thyme, jack cheese. Brush with egg white and cook at 350 degrees until nicely browned.

Noodle bowls--soba or other noodle (even spaghetti works), in a clear veg broth with ginger, sesame oil, lemongrass and garlic. Top with chopped or shredded carrots, celery, bean sprouts, cilantro, peanuts.

Enchilada bowls--simmer beans and rice in enchilada sauce, top with corn, red bell peppers, green chilies, avocado, onions, a little cheese. Serve warm.

Pasta with green veggies--boil and drain any type of pasta, keep warm. Melt a generous amount butter and/or olive oil in a large pan. Add chopped garlic, just warm through (do NOT let it brown). Add all the green veg that you can find--asparagus, edamame, peas, snow peas, green beans, spinach or kale, etc. After you take it off the heat, add basil and Parmesan.

Manicotti--use crepes to wrap around a mixture of ricotta, chopped spinach, basil, Parmesan, and garlic. Cook in marinara sauce topped with a little mozzarella.

Stuffed sweet potatoes--cook clean sweet potatoes in 350 degree oven until tender. Top with black beans, mozzarella, and chili powder.

Calazones--use pizza dough to wrap around ricotta, bell peppers, olives, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed fennel, onions, mushrooms, etc. (You can add a tablespoon of pizza sauce, but no more, it will make it soggy). Cook in a 450 degree oven until well browned.

Greek Stuffed Peppers--mix cooked quinoa (or other grain) with kalamata olives, feta, diced zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, Greek seasoning, fresh basil or oregano. Stuff inside a steamed and gutted bell pepper, top with a bit of cheese and cook in 350 degree oven until brown and bubbly.

Yellow Indian Curry--saute a mixture of of vegetables, like diced potatoes, little corns, butternut, garbanzo beans, carrots, kale, red bell pepper, fennel. Top with packet or jar of yellow curry sauce and simmer until cooked through. Serve over brown rice.

Mexican casserole--cook a meaty bean (we use scarlet runner beans) by boiling them in a pot of water until cooked through. Mix them with sun-dried tomatoes, cooked butternut, and a jar of salsa. Top with a layer of polenta and a little shredded cheese. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees until cooked through.

Things I Never Want to Forget about Germany

2013-09-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

The entire Albert family was so incredibly generous to us. They welcomed us into their homes, provided for every need, fed us, bought us presents, drove us everywhere, gave us hugs and lots of laughs.

Brad and his best childhood friend, Richard, reunited in Einsidelerhof. This is the lake where they went camping and chasing girls.

Brad was very excited to show me where they used to play in the woods, the bomb holes left from WWII, the castle ruins. Also where the gypsy camp was and where the "Strasse Queens" would stand and tease the boys as they walked by.

Rhein in Flammen! A festival of beer, bratwurst, pretzels! They have neuer wein (new wine), which has not been fermented yet. It tastes like grape juice and is seriously potent.

The river boats coming from upstream would slam on their brakes, and let the back end of the boat flip 180 degrees by the current until they could move into position facing back upstream.

Live music with Richard's friends' singing, "Country Roads." (The Germans can turn any song into a beer drinking song). Fireworks over the river, shooting out of the castles on the hills, and for a finale -- waterfalls of fire coming over the castle walls.

Driving home at 2AM, we ran out of gas on the Autobahn. As we coasted slower and slower, Brad asked Guenter, "Was ist los?" And Guenter quietly replied, "Der Auto ist kaput." Had to wait over an hour for a tow truck, then had to fit 10 people in the cab of the tow truck. So much laughter.

Maria lit a candle for Jennifer and I at the church.

Hearing the church bells ring out every day.

Buying a paper cone of fresh apricots from the farmers market.

They have bakery trucks for home delivery.

Each city has it's own symbol. This fish is for Kaiserslautern. They decorate the manholes with them.

On Friday night we sat outside a cafe on the cobbled street, talking with everyone, while Brad and Richard drank meter bier (literally, a meter of beer). Out of the corner of my eye I saw some more of the family coming to join us. I felt so much a part of the family and fun.

Spending time with Richard's girlfriend, Jennifer, a genuine person with a warm heart.

Brad told Maria that riding on the badly paved streets was a "German massage." She thought it was funny.

A day on the Mosel River--a dream come true. Lunch on a deck overlooking the view as the sun came out. Riesling wine for lunch. Meandering the old cobbled streets of Bernkastel.

Sunday lunch outside at St Martin beside the fountain. Chicken, wrapped in bacon, with wine sauce and grapes and a side of rosemary potatoes. A meal never to be forgotten.

Tasted little Mirabellen, tiny golden plums.

One night for dinner we had cheesecake, plum tart, and strudel. The next morning for breakfast we had cheesecake with jam. They seem to eat nothing but schnitzel, bratwurst, ice cream and pastries.

Advice from Richard: If a wild boar chases you, run downhill. Their legs are too short in the front to run downhill.

Preparing for Safari--Part 2

2013-07-18T18:07:00.002-07:00

There are just a few more things that I want to say about traveling to Africa. Now that I've been there and realize all the things that we did wrong, hopefully you can learn from my mistakes. My earlier packing list is here: Prepping for Safari

One of our fellow travelers only has one eye, so logically, he only needed a monocular, instead of binoculars. He let me give it a go and I loved it! So much easier to focus and track the animals. I highly recommend it. He said he bought it on Amazon for about $60.

I lost my hair conditioner in Amsterdam, so I spent the entire 12 days in the dry air of Tanzania with hair like straw. You cannot buy normal cosmetics there. I would also bring a rich lotion, eye wash, and saline nasal spray. I have heard of a new product, which is a nasal gel, called Ayr. I haven't tried it yet, but since I live in a dry desert climate, I'm going to find some.

My little insect bite relief stick was a popular item. It immediately stopped the itching and swelling of bug bites. So small and so helpful to have. At the end of the trip, I gifted to one of our drivers. I hope he uses it often.

You definitely want a nice camera. I rented a 400mm lens from LensRentals.com to put on the body of my Canon Rebel and I was so happy with my photos. I was the only one in our group with a "real" camera. I am happy to share all my photos with everyone, but I feel like they missed out on taking their own pictures. Also a lens brush is great for keeping the dust off. Three sets of batteries for each camera worked out just right. One set charging, one set in the camera, and one set in my pocket to reload. Each night I rotated through them.

Lingerie bags (in addition to the cubes) were great for holding smaller items inside the duffle bag. I would bring several with me.

I wish that I had a watch with me. Without my phone, I never knew what time it was. Normally that doesn't bother me, but on this type of tour they are constantly saying, "Meet at 5:30 for breakfast, meet back at the jeeps at 1:30, etc." I was always asking someone what time it was.

I also wish that I had brought warmer clothes. I didn't believe them when they said it was winter there in June and cold. We were at a high elevation and I was much colder than I thought I would be.

Brad's doctor very wisely prescribed Diphen/Atrop (a generic of Lomotil) before we left. I had a very odd illness where waves of nausea would sweep over me and this stopped it within half a hour. It was a life saver for me.

Things I Never Want to Forget About Tanzania

2013-07-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Shanga--Kindness is a language which blind people see and deaf people hear.

Salum--Deo--Joseph, our fearless drivers

A bathroom is a choo. If you want to go, you need to visit The Happy Place. Men go out to "kick a bush" while drivers go out to "check the tire pressure." Once, we really had a flat tire!

The lodges were elegant and luxurious, with laundry service, beautiful swimming pools, wi-fi. We were escorted to and from our rooms by Maasi. At Tlomo Lodge they have an extensive organic vegetable garden and a coffee farm.

Getting an "African Massage" on the long, bumpy, dusty roads.

The average life expectancy is 54 years old.

"I had an farm in Africa"--Jane

The glass door to the bathroom in my mom and Ceil's room.

Baobab trees are "The Upside-down Tree" because their branches look like roots in the dry season.

The main crops are corn, sesame, sunflower, and cotton.

Baboons attacked Georgie 2, they wanted her food.

It was quite cold there, most of the time. It only sprinkled a bit.

Tanzanite is a rare gem of beautiful shades of blue and violet. It is only found in the foothills of Kilimanjaro.

Maasi can walk 20-30 miles a day. They aren't going anywhere, just walking.

The goat boys--4 or 5 years old--no defense against hyenas or lions, except a stick.

Male ostriches necks turn red when they are ready to mate. They share egg sitting duties, the brown female sits on them during the day, while the black males sit during the night.

Waiting in bed to hear "Jambo-Jambo" wake up call at 5:30AM, when they brought hot water for washing.

50% of Maasi are Christian and 50% are Muslim.

They really walk with amazing things piled on their heads.

Listening to the guides speaking Swahili over the radio and trying to guess what they are talking about.

Dik-dik are smaller and faster than you think.

Watching a bull elephant charge the vehicle that my mom was riding in.

Termite mounds are the same size under the ground as above. The queen can live for 80 years. They grow fungus for food.

A Maasi family lives in a boma, a small group of huts within a fenced area. The first and biggest hut is for the first wife. She chooses the second and subsequent wives. The man rotates through the wives' huts. The women do all the work. They are trying to eliminate female circumcision. The chief we visited had four wives and 24 children.

The government mandates that all children must go to school at age 7. They take a national exam at age 15. If they pass, they can continue their education. If not, they go to work for the family or go to a trade school.

The Maasi believe that all the cattle in the world were given to them by God. Every once in awhile they go out to collect "their" cattle from other people.

A pretty girl can be worth 50 cattle dowry.

While visiting the Maasi, we did a wild dance that involved using your shoulders to make your collar bounce and jumping up and down. Then you sort of shimmy over to a person of the opposite sex and bump shoulders. This causes lots of blushing and laughing.

Four nights at a tent camp in the Serengeti. Brad and I could share one bucket of warm water for a shower. A toilet inside a wooden box. They move every 2-3 months for sanitary reasons. They are not allowed to grade the land, so all the beds are on a slant. The kitchen was surrounded by thorn branches to keep the hyenas out.

They burn the grasslands every year at this time to rejuvenate the nutrients in the grass. Also, they can flush out the poachers.

The Serengeti National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, funded to preserve the natural setting. They can never pave the roads. It cost us $1400 to get 3 Land Rovers, 17 guests, and 3 drivers into the park for 4 days.

Nothing will eat a dead hyena, except another hyena. A lion will kill a hyena to eliminate the competition, but they won't eat it.

"Prepare your machine." -- Deo (meaning "get your camera ready, there's something ahead").

There are 124 tribes in Tanzania. They each have their own mother language, which all the children learned. The government has deemed Swahili the national language, so they can communicate throughout the whole country. Every child learns Swahili in school. Then they learn English. Our drivers could also speak Spanish, French and Italian. They are encouraged to marry outside of their own tribe, so at home they speak Swahili and their children's first language is Swahili, not a mother language.

Improved Bull Washing Bar (????)

Hillary Clinton Shop

Promised....not guaranteed.

Elephants eat up to 500 lbs a day.

Honey badgers smell bad! The work in tandem with a Honey Guide bird, which lead them to the bees' nest. The badger sprays the nest and kills the bees and the badger and the bird share the honey.

Thompson Gazelles are abundant. They are called "The Flower of the Serengeti."

"I saw that gazelle yesterday."--Bobbie

We were in the middle of a mini zebra stampede.

We also visited the Iraqw tribe. They are farmers, but in the dry season, they make bricks. Each family is responsible for making its own bricks. They only have one wife and they don't have divorce. They sang a traditional song for us and fed us corn on the cob.

We saw a lioness attacking a hippo. That hippo ran fast! The lioness gave up, so we didn't see a kill. We also watched a cheetah chasing a gazelle, but it didn't catch that either. There was a zebra stuck in the mud. It was still struggling but the guides said that he wouldn't make it. If a crocodile didn't eat him, a hyena surely would.

The open air market was a fascinating experience. They were butchering cows, cooking on open fires, selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables, sardines. A cow sells for about $300 and a goat about $50.

Final count:

Lion--96

Leopards--2

Cheetahs--9
Cerval cats--2

Giraffe--many

Varieties of Birds--over 50
zebra, wildebeest, cape buffalo, gazelle, elephant--endless

Flat Tires--3

Rhino--zero

Some Things I Learned in Amsterdam

2013-06-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

On the way to Tanzania, we stopped in Amsterdam for two nights. I wanted to show Brad this city that I loved so much the last time I was there. It was well worth it to rest up and wander the city. We did the guide-led walking tour and learned so much that I didn't know. A short list:

Bicycles rule here--There are 800,000 residents and 860,000 bikes. Every year between 12,000 to 15,000 bikes are removed from the canals. The saying goes, "Hear a bell, run like HELL." Pedestrians better stay out of their path.

The wonky houses lean forward on purpose, to make hauling their goods to the attic easier with a rope and the hook at the roof line. They also lean sideways, but not on purpose. They were built on wooden piling several hundred years ago so it is rotting and giving way.

Waffelstoopen are wonderful waffle-shaped cookies with caramel inside. I wish I would have known that earlier.

There is a "Cannabis College" to educate people on the uses and growing techniques of marijuana.

In the red light district, there are "safe child" signs, with hours that you can bring your children. There is an 84 year old sex worker still active. She has a two week waiting list!

Us on Safari

2013-06-25T08:30:00.003-07:00

We are Back in Civilization

2013-06-24T07:35:00.002-07:00

We are here in a beautiful resort, recovering from the dust and bouncing around on bumpy roads for 4 days (our African massage). We saw 4 out of 5 Big Five (no rhino). The most excitement was a lion chasing down a hippo, but the hippo ran faster!

Will try to post photos on the blog tomorrow.

2013-06-19T07:49:00.001-07:00

Two good days of animal viewing and dancing with the Maasi. We will be in a tent camp in the Serengeti for the next four nights.

2013-06-19T07:48:00.001-07:00

Two good days of animal viewing and dancing with the Maasi. We will be in ate noted camp in the Serengeti for the next four nights.

Kilimanjaro

2013-06-16T22:27:00.002-07:00

Amsterdam

2013-06-14T21:11:00.003-07:00

Reno Run or Dye

2013-06-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Reno held a 5K "Run or Dye" to raise money for Susan G. Komen Foundation. Over 7000 people participated. Such a happy positive vibe, everyone with big smiles, dancing and singing. One of Reno's good things.

A Lighter Me

2013-05-27T13:27:00.001-07:00

19 pounds! I've lost 19 pounds since January. I was going to wait and write a blog when I reached 20 because that seems more like a celebration to me, but I am so pleased with how it's been going I want to share it now. This is not a diet blog in any way, however, I do feel like this is useful information for anyone interested in a healthy life. It's not vegetarian, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, or South Beach; only whole, real foods. Honestly, that's it.

I used to tell myself that as long as I made it at home without processed foods, it was okay. That lead to a lot of fresh baked bread slathered with butter, home baked desserts every few days, and lots of things covered with a thick layer of cheese. One day I said, "That's it. I'm done," and I meant it. Sugar is probably my worst downfall. I only use organic, raw sugar and I try to keep it to small amounts.

There is no rhyme or reason to my "plan." I believe in the 80:20 proportions. If 80-90% of what you eat is healthy nutrient-dense real foods, then anything goes for the other 10-20%. All fruits and veg, grains and beans, nuts and seeds, are fair game. That is huge. I am constantly full, there is an endless supply of choices.

Basically, I have tea in the morning, then oatmeal or homemade granola or fresh fruit. I want to start making smoothies for the summer. Lunch is either healthy leftovers or a big salad. Dinner is a small early meal, usually veggie-based stir-fry, soup, stew, tacos, pizza. If we want meat, we share a chicken breast or a steak, or sprinkle a little prosciutto on a pizza.

My favorite snacks are popcorn with coconut oil and salt, apple slices with almond butter, dried fruit, nuts, homemade energy bars. I stopped drinking wine every night, maybe once a week now, so it's a special treat. I do eat meat, cheese, milk, yogurt, bread, crackers, but in very small bits. The only thing I absolutely will not do is soda, that stuff is evil. My drinks are hot or iced tea (so many flavors to choose from), water (sometimes I add flavor with lemon, or small amounts of juice, but mostly plain from the tap), and kombucha (which I drink a half a glass a day).

Most weight loss depends on food choices, with the remainder coming from exercise. I walk almost 2 miles every day, as I have for years. I have add a little weight session, takes about 15 minutes to do a few push ups, squats, core, and arms for 3 sets, 3 times a week. Not much, just a bit to add strength. I can feel the muscles through my skin now.

In a few days I'll write about specific foods that have worked for me--simple, clean, delicious.

Prepping for Safari

2013-05-23T10:27:00.001-07:00

In addition to your standard clothing, comfortable shoes, socks, pjs, personal grooming supplies, you're going to need some specialized items to go on safari. We are going to Tanzania with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is my fourth trip with this company and I have nothing but raves for how well they treated us. Researching everything previous to leaving has been a challenge, but you might as well benefit from all that work.

Lion from oattravel.com

This website says that you do not need the Yellow fever vaccine when traveling to Tanzania, if you do not leave the airport in Kenya: africatravel.com You should have Hepatitis A, tetanus, and typhus. Start taking your malaria meds two days before going and a week after coming home. Check with your doctor for other recommendations.

You need a Visa to get into Tanzania and have at least 6 months until your current passport expires.

Use travel cubes for separating out your supplies and clothing, especially the small things and especially if you are using a duffel bag as your main luggage. I have saved those clear plastic cases that new sheets come in as a stand-in for the mesh style cubes. You can also use gallon or 2 gallon ziplock bags and squeeze the air out. Or Space Bags, available at Costco.

The pharmacist told me the secret to long airplane flights--Benedryl! It's safe enough to give children without a prescription. Figure out when it will be morning where you are going, count back 8 hours and pop the pill. I took one as we were taxiing down the run way and never knew we took off. Woke up about an hour away from England, refreshed and happy. A blow up pillow and ear plugs help too. Also, for the first few days take Melatonin in the evening of the place you are staying to get in tune with their cycles.Since white is one of the colors you shouldn't wear, I am using a box of green RIT dye on my old white shirts. You also shouldn't wear black or dark blue, as it attracts teste flies.

Duct tape is invaluable as you travel. Keep a small piece wound around a pencil or an old credit card in your backpack. You can get it in wild colors for marking your duffle and backpack. You can use it to repair broken luggage or shoes, fix holes in mosquito netting, seal up hotel room curtains, cover the drain of the sink for laundry, tape bottles closed so they can't spill, cover blisters, etc.

I've heard that the staff will wash your laundry, except underwear. For the ladies, 3 pairs of panties, plus panty liners should work. Bring a small amount of laundry soap (I like Dr. Bronner's Castile liquid soap) for a do-it-yourself solution. Carry a small roll of TP and ziplock sandwich bags in your day pack; you may need to use the "bush toilet." Some women take a little device called "Go Girl," sort of a female urinal.

Sawyer PREMETHIN insect spray for clothing. I found this at Wal-Mart for $10. You spray your clothes several days before leaving. It will work for up to 6 laundry washings.

Buff--Survivor fans will know these multi-purpose cloth tubes used for dust masks, neck warmers, scarfs, etc.

Bring along photocopies of your passport, 2 extra passport photos, visa, credit cards, air travel itinerary and travel insurance.

Make a little first aid kit in a ziplock or tin--Imodium, antiseptic cream, band-aids, aspirin, personal meds, Q-tips.Rick Steves' backpack. This is so useful as an airplane carry-on and daypack on the safari. I have never seen such a lightweight, durable pack. For the plane ride, load this with your passport, money, pillow, earplugs, food, reading material, puzzles, camera, medicines and an extra set of clothing. For safari, load it with binoculars, water, first aid kit, insect repellent, sunscreen, camera equipment, etc.

Dry Shampoo, also called No-Rinse Shampoo--this might work for you. Test it out before you leave. The idea is to wet your hair with it and towel it off.

If you are bringing a big camera, make a beanbag style pouch (or use heavy duty ziplocks) to steady the camera of top of the vehicle. You can fill it with rice, beans, lentils. Some people wait and fill it with sand once they get there to save on the weight in their luggage. Also, lots of memory cards, batteries and charger and converter for the charger, etc. Polarizing filters. Lens hood. One of those straps that brace around your back will keep your neck from wearing out. Keep your camera in a dust-proof case and never change lens in the field. Know your camera instructions and practice before leaving. I would suggest looking at high quality photos and website to get photography ideas and tips.

Birding binoculars work well, because they are light weight. Look for 10x40 to get the best distance coverage. Pawn shops are an excellent place to look for quality used ones.

A doctor recommended taking Pepto-Bismol before taking malaria meds to minimize stomach upset. Also it is a good idea to take probiotic pills for a week before and a week after the trip to fend off bad bugs. Taking an aspirin before long flights so you don't get Deep Vein Thrombosis (if you are not already taking blood thinners).Bring crisp dollar bills for small purchases and tips. Use a debit card at the ATM to get local money. Use Capital One credit card -- they don't charge you for the foreign transaction fee. Call your credit card company to tell them when and where you are going.

Other little things that are small, lightweight and will make you trip more pleasant: unscented products
old glasses
sunglasses
neck strap for glasses
flashlight
sports bras
anti-itch stick
antibiotic hand gel
sunscreen
insect repellent
moist wipes
i-pad loaded with guide books, etc
flip-flops for the showers
hat with a wide brim
empty water bottle to fill before getting on the plane
energy bars
lip balm
warm layers for night and morning
alarm clock for sunrise safaris
rain gear??

Lemon Heaven

2013-05-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

You know what is overwhelming? A gift of over 200 Meyer lemons! My daughter lives in the abundance capital of America, Sonoma. They have a teeny tree, no bigger than five feet tall, with literally a thousand lemons on it. They were small, but plenty juicy.

So, let's see--what to do with that overflowing plethora? Actually, I went through them pretty fast. First, I filled the dehydrator with slices. These are nice to have around for flavoring tea or water. Here are my other projects:

Spiced Lemons--I found a recipe for Spiced Oranges in the UK Country Living magazine and adapted it to lemons.

Lemon Vanilla Marmalade--I have to admit this didn't work out so well. I burnt it twice. I am saving it to use as a marinade on BBQ meats.

Lemon Ginger Exlier-- this is delicious added to hot or cold tea, plain or soda water, or pour over fruit or ice cream. Simply boil equal amounts of water and sugar, turn off the burner and add the lemon zest and chunks of ginger. When it's cooled add in the lemon juice. Strain out the zest and ginger. Bottle and refrigerate.

Lemon/Thyme Mustard--I read that mustard is easy to make with mustard seed, vinegar, etc. I just substituted lemon juice for the vinegar and added in the zest and some fresh thyme. Even though I used the mildest yellow seeds, it turned out quite strong. It is supposed to mellow with age (it's going to take a long time). Basic Recipe.

Lemoncillo--soaking a bunch of them in vodka right now.

Preserved Lemons--packed in salt.

Lemon Salt

Some more ideas that I haven't got to yet--

Lemon Sugar--whirl the dried lemons in a spice grinder, mix with sugar.

Lemon Curd

Candied Lemons

Bonus:
You can get double the juice from your lemons, check this out:

Favorites

2013-05-15T08:59:00.002-07:00

Map My Ride app--my brother-in-law, Wayne, showed me how to use this app that keeps track of how far you go, whether you are walking, jogging, or riding. Using GPS, it calculates the time, distance, and calories burned. It even knows to pause if you stop to rest. I have found it to be very useful for my daily walks.

London Fog Tea--milky Earl Grey tea with a shot of vanilla--delicious and sweet enough that it doesn't need any sugar at all.

Mother Earth Living magazine--my cousin, Debra, gave me her copy and now I'm hooked because it is both beautiful and practical, focusing on healthy and natural solutions to life. The website is useful, even if you don't subscribe.

Mighty Matoes-- grafted tomatoes (and other veggies) of super strong root systems and high producing top plants. Supposedly you can get up to 70 lbs of tomatoes from one plant. We bought ours at Rail City Garden Center and planted 7.

Cinnamon and Honey in hot water--both cinnamon and honey have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, making it wonderful if you feel a cold coming or as a preventive for allergy season. Remember to stir it hard between every sip to incorporate the cinnamon, because it tastes delicious too. I heard a rumor that drinking it first thing in the morning will help you loose weight. I'm not sure I believe that.

The Forest Feast blog--by Erin Gleeson. A feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap -- this is, without a doubt, the best cleaner I've ever used. It melts away the dirt. So clean and natural that you can use it as soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, kitchen and floor cleaner. Absolutely worth the $10 I paid for it at Trader Joe's.

At Last

2012-03-18T17:55:00.003-07:00

A typical chilly, snowy morning here in Reno.

The garden won't be ready for planting for another two months, but....

...the greenhouse is already growing!

hundreds of seeds in the soil

9 lettuce starts,

27 radishes,

many, many, arugula too

After waiting so long, it's a reality.

Chai

2012-03-14T10:13:00.007-07:00

Borage (which really has nothing to do with chai)

Cardomom, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Star Anise, Orange Zest, Honey, Ginger, Vanilla! Oh My!

I have been somewhat obsessed with the flavors of chai lately. First, I discovered that you can premake a Chai Tea Concentrate to keep in mason jars in the frig. It's delicious, but expensive to add all those spices. Then I figured that I could make it with chai tea bags, which would cut down on the cost, and add some fresh ginger while it simmered and splash it with vanilla when it was done. I liked being able to pour it straight into my cup, add some milk and microwave for a minute.

THEN, I found a recipe for Condensed Milk Chai Concentrate. It doesn't take up as much room in the frig. Make a regular cup of black tea and add a little of the concentrate. Viola!

Another of my favorite chai ideas is inspired from Fine Cooking magazine--Chai Soaked Fruits:

Steep 2 chai tea bags in 2 cups of boiled water for 5 minutes. Throw out the tea bags. Stir in 3 Tbs. honey, and 2 cups of chopped dried apricots, pitted prunes, golden raisins or dark raisins. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid turns to a light syrup(18-20 minutes). Keep in a jar in the frig to add to oatmeal or yogurt, spread on french toast or waffles. Remember to sprinkle on toasted almonds too. Oh, how about making a puff pastry tart and spreading it on there? LOVE it!

And, homemade Chai Spice Granola:

(adapted from Blog Aid: Recipes for Haiti)

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup agave syrup (or skip the agave and use 1 cup honey total, OR use 1/2 c.brown sugar)
1 cup water
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 tea bags

Dry Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oat flakes
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds (or sunflower)

1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 cup diced candied ginger
1 cup raisins
1 cup diced dried apples
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare 3 large cookie sheets with a sheet of parchment or non-stick spray.
Steep tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water. Remove tea bags after 5 minutes. Mix in the honey, agave, oil, and spices in a small saucepan.
Heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. It’s okay if it comes to a boil, but don’t keep it at a boil.
Stir together dry ingredients, except for the coconut, raisins and apples, which will be added later. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Split between the 3 sheets.
Bake at 300°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 275°F and rotate pans. Use a spatula to turn the granola and scrape any darkening bits off the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 15 minutes.
Add dried fruit and coconut, turn off oven and leave granola in oven until completely cool.
Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 quarts.

Things I Never Want to Forget about Kauai

2012-02-25T19:56:00.004-08:00

cardinal startles

whale watching from the cliff tops

delicious rambutan every day

wind chimes in the gusty breezes

spider tai chi

geckos clucking in the night

getting used to having sandy feet

falling stars in the hot tub
real mai tais

farmers markets in Hanalei

pineapple, star fruit, oranges, avocados, bananas, papaya, honey

munching on sugar cane

Sing along: "Don't worry about a thing,

'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Rise up this mornin',

Smiled with the risin' sun,

10,000 chickens

Pitch by my doorstep"

Valentine's sunset at Ke'e Beach

morning bird songs

sunlight through the rain shafts

monk seal surprise

skin so soft

mahalo. more please.

Easy Ideas for Healthier Living

2012-02-02T11:19:00.001-08:00

A new morning routine to start the day with good intentions and carry through. Really, just thinking about eating more nutritious foods and doing one or two little things in the kitchen keeps the process of healthy eating moving forward.

1. Eat a good breakfast: eggs, homemade granola, oatmeal, French toast, yogurt, fresh fruit.

2. Fill a water glass (sometimes I flavor it with citrus, herbs, mint, ginger, or cucumber) and take vitamins.

3. Check the frig and pantry for what needs to be used. This is a critical step, if you're like me, all the produce in the store or farmer's market looks so good that loading up is easy. Then I have tons of stuff to use up before it gets old.

4. Prep work: This can take just 5-10 minutes, or as long as you want. This is looking ahead to meals for the next couple of days and thinking about what to cook. And it is also about making pantry items to stock up with exciting flavors.

Just the beginning of good ideas:

Yogurt -- I got a yogurt maker for Christmas, but it is quite easy to make your own without one. Go here for simple instructions. Just be sure to keep it sanitary.

Pizza dough -- I make this no-knead by putting it in the frig overnight. I the morning take it out and let it rise.

Baked Brown Rice--soak rice in water overnight and drain (optional). Fry rice in a little olive oil, making it nutty and flavorful, this is also optional. Put into an oven-safe pan, add a dash of olive oil, salt, lemon zest, rosemary, or whatever flavorings you prefer, cover with water. Cook covered dish at 350 degrees until the water is absorbed.

Salads -- pageful of delicious ideas.

Pesto -- whizz a small chunk of Parmensan in the food processor, add walnuts, zip, add basil (and other greens like kale, spinach, etc) zip, pour a stream of olive oil through the feeder tube and blend. Keep in a jar in the frig for a week. Use on salads, pizzas, pasta, potatoes.

Roasted Garlic -- Put a head of garlic on a double layer of foil, pour on olive oil, roast in a hot oven until tender and creamy. Can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, but use it up on salad dressings, veggies, pizzas, etc.

Soak or Cook Beans -- Day 1--Rinse and soak the beans in a big pot of salted water overnight.
Day 2--Drain and cook beans in a fresh pot of water with salt, add flavorings if you choose to, like herbs, bay leaves, garlic.

Start a Soup or a Slow Cooker Meal -- millions of ideas available on the internet to keep you from coming home late and hungry and running out for an unhealthy restaurant meal.

Salad Dressings -- it's silly to buy salad dressing when it is so easy to make your own. A good variety of ideas here.

Endless Chicken Stock -- another link to Kitchen Stewardship. A wonderful idea that I will be doing regularly now.

Sprout Seeds -- powerhouses of nutrients to add to sandwiches and salads. These are easy to grow in your kitchen for some fresh greens in winter. Grow them in a canning jar in a dark, cool cupboard, to simulate under ground, rinse twice a day. A few days later they are ready to eat.

Sun Tea -- mix up some flavored tea bags with black tea bags and fill a pitcher with cold water. Let the sun create its solar magic. This is the easiest way to prevent drinking sodas.

Stewed Prunes -- slice an orange into thin wedges, put in a pot with 1 pound of dried prunes, add a cinnamon stick, just cover with water and cook over medium heat until the juice thickens to syrup. They don't need any sweetening, they are already perfect. Keeps in the frig for a week. A wonderful idea from Melissa Clark's cookbook, A Homemade Life.

Roasting Vegetables -- peel and cube veggies, such as beets, winter squashes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes. Coat with olive oil and herbs on a baking sheet, pop into a hot oven and cook until tender.
Tamar Adler's video of Roasting Vegetables Ahead

Other quick things that make life easier: Prerinse salad greens, make carrot or celery sticks, marinate some meat, cut up a pineapple or cantaloupe.

Give the counters and sink a quick wipe and sweep the floor if needed and I'm done for the day.

Things I Never Want to Forget About Europe

2011-10-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

First, I always want to remember how grateful I am to my mother for giving me the opportunity to share this experience with her, creating memories for both of us forever.

Houses are very narrow because they were taxed on the amount of land they use and then they built up. Many of these houses are over 500 years old and are sliding sideways, making them look very tipsy.

Holland is just two provinces--The Netherlands is the name of the whole country

The Red Light District of Amsterdam--I've always heard of it and always wanted to see it. Two kind fellow passengers took me out with them to see the sights. Incredibly narrow alleys with real red lights over 400 windows. 1000 girls (to cover the various shifts). They pay about $100/night for a window. The girls were all completely dressed. After negotiating with the customer they close the drapes for privacy. Photos are not allowed or you may find yourself in the canal.

The "coffeehouses" are numerous and no one pays any attention to them, but they do emit a strong aroma.

One thing that made me crazy were all the people on bikes (no one wears a helmet) and no hats or umbrellas. It didn't matter how hard it was raining, they just went on without them.

Outdoor urinals--can you imagine! right out on the street!

They have a Museum of Bags and Purses.

Augenroller--The Eye Roller--his eyes move back and forth and he sticks out his tongue on the hour.

Schmuck means gem or jewelry.

Gas costs $9 a gallon.

For public toilets, you must pay a "fee to pee." Usually 50 cents. In one place we paid 70 cents, but that's because a brush came out to clean the rotating seat after every use.

"Let's have a reviver, Georgie!"

In the Cologne area, beer is served in tall narrow glasses and they will keep bring you more and more until you put a coaster over the glass to indicate that you are finished.

There is a purity law regarding beer brewing--you may only use four ingredients: hops, barley, yeast and water.

During a night out in the Drosselgasse wine alley of Rudesheim, we went wine tasting and had to fish the little bugs out of our glasses. We were each served a liter of Riesling wine with dinner and they all sang the whole way home on the bus.

Contrary to popular belief, in the middle ages chastity belts were not used to keep wives and daughters pure. They were used on prostitutes who didn't pay their taxes.

The gigantic slabs of wurst people ate at lunch.

In Bamburg, the Church owned the land and would not give the townspeople a place for their city hall, so they built it in the middle of the river.

Our friend had to go into the hospital for two days while on the trip. For breakfast they served her a bread roll, a piece of cheese and 3 slices of salami--in a hospital!!

Schneeballen--a round pastry ball deep-fried and coated with different toppings.

The little old ladies who spoke to me in German, assuming that I understood, as I nodded along.

The Mainz cathedral was built in 8 years and burned to the ground on the day of its inaugeration.

The Marksburg castle is the the only intact remaining castle. In the bed chamber there is a bed that is approximately 4 ft by 4 ft for two adults to sleep in. They slept sitting upright because of all the smoke from the fires and candles.

It is a saying that a women's blouse should be well constructed, so you can "see how much wood she has stacked in front of her cabin."

When the ship approaches low bridges, the wheelhouse lowers to the level of the deck. The captain pokes his head out a hatch on top. Once he asked me to sit beside him as we went under and he stuck his hand up to touch the bottom of the bridge.

2011-10-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, what have we done so far? In Amsterdam, there was the canal boat trip with the houseboats lining the edges, a long walk in the rain and a short trip to see the Red Light District.

Next, we sailed to Cologne to see the cathedral and the old town. The town of Koblenz was lovely to wander through. We toured the only intact castle left in Germany called Marksburg followed by beer, sausages and pretzels at a brewery.

The highlight of the trip is the little villages lining the Rhine, including the rock of Lorili. They waited until morning to sail for us to have the best views. Of course, it was a shivery cold, foggy morning, so that didn't work out so well. But I managed to take a few pictures.

We toured Mainz, which was supposed to include the Gutenberg Museum, but we ditched it because we were tired. There was a special tour of Rudesheim with a winery and then dinner with lots of oompah music and a liter of wine each! They sang all the way home on the bus.

Today we saw castle and town of Heidelberg.

What's left? Only Wertheim, Karlstadt, Gerlachshausen, Schweinfurt, Bamberg and Nuremberg. Other than that, we just eat ALL THE TIME!

2011-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Dream of my lifetime--Europe! Specifically, a riverboat cruise of the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Nuremburg. We started with two rainy days in Amsterdam, but trooped through it to see the sights. The canals, tipsy houses, coffeeshops and of course, the Red Light District.

Today we had a day in Cologne. When I came around the corner and saw the awesome of the catherdal, the power of it was breathtaking. The town was mostly destroyed during World War II, and has been reconstructed around the main square.

We skipped out on the ship board dinner tonight and ate bratwurst, cabbage and potatoes in an authentic German pub.